Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-22

saw lnc none where tHtIt " IL Il >tpHt
missing. suddenly | remembered that
while we stood under the shed that
Sunday in the rain, had noticed the
same hole in the same ring. and with
this recollection came a thought which
brought the color to my face and made
nv heart beat faster. And the thought
was that Mr. Reade must know how
long ago he had lost that stone. And
from that moment a spirit Of daring
mischief came into me. and | would
not condcsccnd to pretend to look
about any longer: but | patted the
horses neck and glanced every now
and then at his master, and thought
how foolish he looked hunting about
for what he knew he should not find.
Then he looked up. red with STOPPING.
and caught me smiling. and he had to
bite his lip in order not to smile HIM
self as he walked up to me.
Il cant find it, 1t isn't of any con-
sequence; | sha mt look any longer,
he said.
"Oh. but it would be such rity to
lose such large stone, Mr.. Rcade!' |
said, boldly. "I'll tell the gardener to
hunt for it. and Sam the boy, and Jane
the kitchen-maid. She has sharp eyes;
she might spend an hour or two hunt
ing" | murmured, coniidentially,
while he protested.
And think he began to suspect my
good faith; and we both got into such
giggling excited state that it was
very difficult to 90 on talking, and |
was glad when some of my flowers fell
4 20 IL.
up. and we had time to regain little
of our lost composure.
"You are fond of flowers, Miss
Christie?''
"Oh yes, but the rain has spoiled the
best of them"
1.-THE rain spoils good many things
here. You don't look nearly as well as
you did a week or two ago. expect
it is the damp of this place. You
might as we'll live in cave as in this
house during rainy season. Don't
you find your health is affected by it?'
ut is damp, know; but it isn't half
so bad for me, who am strong. as it is
for Mrs. Rayner or for little Haidee."
"But they can't help themselves,
poor things, while it lies in your own
power whether you will put up with it
or not"
"You mean that ought TO go away"
mo. no, l don't mean that" said he,
hastily.
"But that is what you advised me to
do" said l, looking up, surprised.
Ibid 1? All, yes! But now that you
have grown attached to-the place,
and-and Mrs. Rayner-"
mo, indeed l haven't" l inter-
rupted. II don't like her at all. / like
the house in spite of the damp, and l
like Haidec, and Jane the kitchen
maid, and MIR. Rayner, said, quietly.
| "YOu like Mr.. Rayner, YOU say?
Then suppose our sympathies must
Oe as far apart as the poles. For he
seems to me the most intOlerable snOb
that ever existed, and so selfish and
heartless as to be outside the pale of
humanity"
This TRADE amazed me; but it also
made me angry. could not let him
abuse person whom liked, and who
had been consistently kind to me,
without protest.
You surely can not Judge him so
well as ], a member of his household"
said l, coolly. whether he is a snob
or not can not tell, because l don't
quite know what it means. But l do
know that he is kind to his wife and
his children and servants and depend
ents and"
kind to his wife, do you say? l
should not call it kindness to shut up
my wife in the darkest, dampest cor
ner of dark, damp house, until she is
as spiritless and silent as specter,
and then invent absurd lies to account
for the very natural change in her
looks and spirits"
What do you mean? What liesp'
"The stories he told you about her
when you first came. He would never
have tried them on any one but an I'M
suspecting girl, and, of course, he
never thought you would repeat them
to me-"
II wish l hadn't" said l, indig-
nantly. What proof have you that
the things he told me were not true?"
mo proof, Miss Christie, but a
mans common sense" said he excited
ly-''no more proof than of another
fact OF which l am equally certain, that
he as surely killing his wife as if he
were making her drink poison"
"How dare you say such thing? You
can not judge a man fairly until you
have seen him in his own home.
have seen Mr.. Rayner among his fam.
lily; have played for him. walked with
him, had long talks with him; and
must surely know him better than you
who have only an ordinary outside &C
quaintance with him."
Mr.. Reade drew himself up yer,
stiffly, and the color rushed to his fore
head. He was getting really angry.
mo doubt, Miss Christie, you know
him great deal better than do.
have never played for him, and hav'
not found either walks or talks will
him particularly delightful. But ther
dare say he did not try so hard to b,
agreeable to me as he did to you"
He said this in sneering tone which
brought the hot blood to my face.
tried to answer, but my voice would
not come. turned away sharply, ant
left him. He followed me a few step
down the drive, with apologies {.
which 1 was too angry and too mucl
; hurt to listen.
Don't speak to me now," I said
II can't bear it," and. turning, I LET
} him. and fed away through the alley
into the house.
Luckily I managed to keep bael
tears, 50 that I could return to tn,
drawing-room with the flowers hal
gathered before they began to wonde
where had been 80 long. Mrs. Rayne
told me that the note from Mrs. Man
ners was to ask that the articles whicl
; we were preparing for the sale,
. sort of bazaar which was one of the at
fractions of the annual school-treat-
should be sent in to her within week
and whether Miss Christie would be S,
kind as to give her services at the stall
and, if so, whether she would call upoi
Mrs. Manners within the next few day
to settle what should be her share o
the work. l was delighted at tn